Cases of COVID-19 continue to rise across the United States as the country faces a late summer wave fueled by the mutated new "Stratus" variant, just in time for back-to-school season.

Data show COVID-19 infections are still growing in most states, predominantly in the West and South. Emergency room visits due to COVID are also rising among all age groups, including kids.

The uptick is concerning, especially amid shifting vaccination guidelines, but not surprising to many experts. COVID-19 has spiked every summer since the pandemic began.

The SARS-CoV-2 virus mutates often, giving rise to new strains of the virus that are often more transmissible and better at evading immunity than their predecessors.

The current COVID surge is being driven by the highly contagious XFG variant, aka "St

See Full Page